


Graceling of Torchwood

by The_Engineer



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Graceling - Freeform, M/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-09 09:19:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1977465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Engineer/pseuds/The_Engineer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“In a world where people are born with an extreme skill—called a grace--are feared and exploited.”</p><p>The Prime minister announced today that once again parliament was unable to come to a decision on the Grace Registration act, which would require all gracelings to register their grace with the government. </p><p>One of the attribute Jack Harkness has always found attractive about Ianto were his beautiful blue eyes. Ianto wonders if Jack would still like his eyes if he really looked closely at them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graceling of Torchwood

**Author's Note:**

> Story based on Graceling by Kristi Cashore

“ _In a world where people are born with an extreme skill—called a grace--are feared and exploited.”_

Cardiff, Wales. Torchwood hub.

 _“The Prime minister announced today that once again parliament was unable to come to a decision on the Grace Registration act, which would require all gracelings to register their grace with the government. Both sides have been arguing nonstop for months when the motion was put forward.”_ A reporter droned on outside of the stately parliament building.

The Torchwood team sits back and watches the television monitor of the crowds in London, there have been riots in the streets these past few weeks when parliament announced it would vote on the Grace Registration act Harold Saxon put forth months ago. It was estimated that more people had shown up for the vote than at the recent wedding of the royals.

“We are not animals! We should not have to register! Do religious individual have to register their faith to the government? No! This is persecution! Are we living in Germany? When did Hitler take over the UK?” An older silver haired man with a German accent shouts into a crowd of supporters. “I survived the Nazis and concentration camps. I come to England for a better life, and what do I find…the same hatred and bigotry! I already have a tattoo to remind me I am Jewish, why do I need to register that I am graced! It is a gift and harms no one. Trust me this is just the beginning! It starts with registration, then the camps and extermination! We cannot let that happen again!” The crowd is roaring in agreement. The camera man pans across the faces in the crowd, focusing on a punk rocker, who on closer inspection has one blue eye and one green eye.

“We can’t let those freaks run around in our streets! It’s not safe for our children! They should be locked up! They are an abomination against God! ” A deranged looking women wearing a housecoat over what appears to be a nightgown screams at the camera clutching a four year old child with one arm while hold on to a large cross in the other brandishing at people as they walk by.

The television goes dark a loud sigh can be heard from Jack. He had lived through this before, the old man was right, it was how it started in Germany. Jack also knew that the recent crime spree and murder of a young store clerk had brought things to a head when the CCTV captured the miscreants committing the crime. While their eyes were not visible, their action proved beyond a doubt they were graced. The rest of the team is quiet. Jack looks at them, Tosh, Gwen, Owen, Ianto, Kathy Swanson and Andy Davidson are the newest recruits, they are quietly pondering the words on the now dark screen. The rift has been more active than usual and as Ianto is only office support and refuses to come into the field, _My lifespan is short enough just working for Torchwood, I do not want or need the to hasten my death._ Jack could not blame Ianto, he had risked everything to pass along information regarding Yvonne Hartman’s plans regarding the ghost shift, only to be caught up in the Cyberman and Dalek wars at Canary Wharf. Jack looks over at Ianto who is looking down and drawing swirls in the wet soda ring on the table. Ianto pulls himself out of his retrospection and starts to collect the rubbish from their lunch. Funny enough Ianto was also thinking about Yvonne Hartman and Torchwood London and his meeting with Jack.

Ianto had worked under Brian Crammer in the main archives. While not involved in the ghost project, everyone was aware of it, almost impossible not to when you see strange shadowy forms wandering the hallways. It gave everyone (well all six of them) in the archives the creeps. Crammer has started to look into the shifts, wondering what type of alien technology Hartman was using. Ianto felt the first real traces of fear when two large men dressed in black came down in the archives and had a talk with Crammer about authorization. Crammer had managed to convince the men it was an accident and they had left, a bit befuddled.

Then they had started to dig deeper, Crammer confessed to Ianto that he was worried and scared. He had put together a folder, and if anything should happen to him Ianto was to find a Captain Jack Harkness. Ianto had heard of Captain Jack, everyone and anyone who worked at Torchwood London had, good looking and good to shag and was head of Cardiff. Then Crammer was called to a meeting, and he never came back, not ever. Ianto had hidden the file among the archives and was just trying to figure out how to contact captain Harkness when the rest of the archive team was sent for. Ianto and the others arrived in the conference room in tower one, where they were briefly told Crammer had chosen to head another department and project, and until a suitable replacement was found, Ted North of retrieval would be their supervisor. They all just nodded and were headed back down when Ianto was called back.

“Ianto I want you to liaison with Ted on a daily basis, keep him up to date with the archives.” Margot instructed him. Ianto nodded and was leaving when he was caught up in what could only be described as a tour of the facility.

“Ah Ianto, this is Captain Jack Harkness from Cardiff, Jack this is Ianto Jones, Brian Crammer’s right hand man.”

Ianto had to steady himself to not gasp out loud. Not only was this the very man Ianto had been praying to find for the last few days, but…..he …..was……gorgeous. Ianto could feel himself become shy and nervous.

“N-nice to meet you Captain Harkness, perhaps if you have time you would like a tour of the archives. What Giles didn’t mention is that I am famous for my coffee.” Ianto gives him a small smile of promises of things to come.

“Ha, and you’re gonna need it if he takes you on a tour of the archives.” Giles slaps Jack on the back laughing. Jack had had enough of the boisterous Giles and even a dull tour of the archives would be an improvement, not to mention the offered coffee.

“I would be delighted to see your archives Mr. Jones.” Jack smiles at Ianto, _beautiful blue eyes_ , and the two men leave Giles grinning heading for the lift. Ianto presses the button for the basement. Neither talk, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. Ianto knew the lifts had CCTV and audio, he did not want to jeopardize anything. He would wait until the archives. Ianto and Brian had managed to discretely move the CCTV cameras in a few places so they had privacy.

Jack and Ianto stepped out of the lift into the dimly lit hallways. Ianto started to tell him about the age of the archives, how it was founded and by whom. Jack listened with half an ear, the Welshman was cute he thought and seemed just a bit nervous around him, his stutter earlier when meeting was quite endearing.

“So where is Brian?” Jack asks Ianto in cutting off Ianto’s history lesson.

 _They took him and he is dead!!!_ “Uh, Mr. Crammer was promoted into another department.” Ianto looks at Jack hoping to convey through his eyes what he could not say out loud.

“Over here is where our oldest archives are dating back to the 1800’s” Ianto drones on steering Jack into the maze of shelves.

Ianto pushes Jack up against one of the tall shelves hiding them from view and pressing close to Jack, while keeping his monolog going and started to frantically pull on Jack’s shirt. Jack for his part was surprised and rather pleased to have this handsome Welshman pressing against him, although he was hoping he would shut up about the history of the archives, start snogging and hopefully something more by the frantic pace Ianto was trying to get his shirt off, so Jack decided to start unbuttoning Ianto shirt only to get his hand slapped away in agitation. Jack frowned and looked at Ianto. It was not passion on the Welshman’s face but fear. Ianto had unbuttoned Jack’s shirt and was pulling on his vest. Jack felt cold paper pressed to his side and being tucked into his waist band. Then the hands were pushing his vest back into his trousers and buttoning up his shirt, tucking everything back into his waistband. Ianto only paused to whisper in Jack’s ear.

“Brian is dead, we’re all in danger.” Then as quickly as it all began Ianto stepped away from Jack and pulled him deeper into the archives. Jack looks at Ianto but he shakes his head once, and hides the movement with a negative answer to a question Jack never asked. His eyes move upwards towards the ceiling, Jack knows there are probably cameras, and by Ianto’s constant patter audio as well. So Jack smiles and acts like he is taking it all in.

Soon Jack finds himself through the maze and back to the beginning of the archives, a cup of coffee trusted into his hand. He had to admit the coffee was amazing as promised. Although Jack had to handle himself stiffly so the folder tucked into his side would not crinkle and make noise.

“I certainly hoped you enjoyed your tour Captain Harkness, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to…..” The lift doors open and two men in black step out. Ianto nodded to Jack to get into the lift. The last thing Jack saw was the pale face of Ianto Jones between the backs of the men walking towards him. Jack left the tower soon afterwards. Mindful that he was not followed back to his hotel.

When Jack got back to his hotel to look at the file he could see why Brian and now probably young Ianto Jones paid their lives for it. In the file had information regarding the ghost project, Jack recognized some of the technology Yvonne was using and knew it was dangerous and illegal.

Cutting his trip short, Jack went back to Cardiff that night; he wanted Tosh to run some of the information through Mainframe. A few short hours later, Cyberman and Daleks tore through London causing death, destruction and mayhem. Jack and his team went back to London searching the refuse for technology. Owen had volunteered (to the surprise of the whole team) to assist with the survivors, what few there were. It took only a few hours before Jack called the team together so they could head back. Jack entered a tent to fetch Owen who was talking to a survivor on a stretcher. Jack stifled a gasp. Ianto was lying on a stretcher, with an oxygen mask, breathing unevenly. Plaster dust in his hair turned it gray; his eyes mere white slits a sliver of blue peeking through. Jack could smell the smoke wafting from him.

“How is he?” Jack asks quietly and nodding at Ianto.

“Too soon to tell how his much his lung were affect by the smoke damage, a few cuts needing stitches and intramuscular bruises, some burns on his forearms, broken ribs. He refused a sedative; so I gave him just some **paracetamol**. Did you know him?” Owen looks at Jack quizzically.

“Ianto Jones.” Jack says quietly watching the eyes close and the breathing becoming deeper signaling that sleep had overtaken the patient.

Owen nods and looks again at the young man. Jack had told the team about Ianto Jones smuggling the folder out through Jack, and Jack last seeing him with two goons and hearing that his contact inside Torchwood One, Brian, died. No wonder Jack was surprised to see him alive. Jack looked around at the tent and other survivors, something was not right. It should be bustling with doctors and nurses, instead it was quiet. Only Owen and Jack were in the tent.

“Where are the other doctors?” Jack asks Owen.

Owen shrugs. “Most of the survivors have been checked out, those who were more serious moved to the hospital, these are the less serious cases and are waiting transport, why?”

“Why is it so quiet in here,” Jack acts like he is looking to leave.

“Well, because they are sleeping.” Owen doesn’t see the problem, patients sleep when they are sedated.

“So every patient needed to be sedated?” Jack asks briefly watching Ianto breath into the mask.

Owen stops in the middle of putting his equipment away. Two men enter the tent dressed in suits with a doctor and start walking among the remaining survivors.

“No…..” Owen looks at Jack as if just realizing the implications. Owen watches the three men out of the corner of his eye, while he pretends to fuss with his bag.

“We need to get him out of here.” Owen says quietly. _He just might be the only one left alive._

“Go and talk to the doctor and see what’s going on, create a distraction. I will get the others in here and sneak him out.” Jack lifts his finger to his ear activating the com and ordering the rest of Torchwood into the tent. The other members respond immediately while Owen goes towards the trio. He engages the doctor in conversation and goes to check on other patients when he is stopped. Jack and Kathy go to intercept. Jack tells Tosh and Andy to get Ianto to the SUV.

“Who?” asks Andy.

“Jack turns around and sees the cot that previously had Ianto now empty. _Where did he go?_

“Never mind, let’s get Owen and get out of here.”

“Owen, let’s go!” Jack shouts. The medic turns and walks away, while the other three men glower at him.

They all get into the SUV and heads towards Cardiff, all the while Jack thinking about Ianto and if he was okay. _Something was not right in that tent. I better have Tosh do some discrete digging to see what is happening to the survivors and where Ianto Jones might have gotten off to._

However, Jack did not get the chance nor did he think about Ianto Jones for the next few weeks as the Rift decided to start spitting out Hoix and weevils nonstop.

TBC.....

 

 

 

 .

 

 


End file.
